Pelvic health for men and women is a medical area of increasing importance, at least in part due to an aging population. Examples of common pelvic ailments include incontinence (e.g., fecal and urinary), pelvic tissue prolapse (e.g., female vaginal prolapse), and conditions of the pelvic floor via a transperitoneal procedure.
Urinary incontinence can further be classified as including different types, such as stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge urinary incontinence, mixed urinary incontinence, among others. Other pelvic floor disorders include cystocele, rectocele, enterocele, and prolapse such as anal, uterine and vaginal vault prolapse. A cystocele is a hernia of the bladder, usually into the vagina and introitus. Posterior prolapse, or rectocele, can occur when the fascia that separates the rectum and the vagina weakens or tears, thereby causing a bulge of the vaginal wall. Pelvic disorders such as these can result from weakness or damage to normal pelvic support systems.
Urinary incontinence can be characterized by the loss or diminution in the ability to maintain the urethral sphincter closed as the bladder fills with urine. Male or female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) generally occurs when the patient is physically stressed.
Urinary incontinence can be characterized by the loss or diminution in the ability to maintain the urethral sphincter closed as the bladder fills with urine. Male or female stress urinary incontinence (SUI) occurs when the patient is physically stressed.
A variety of treatment options are currently available to treat incontinence. Some of these treatment options include external devices, behavioral therapy (such as biofeedback, electrical stimulation, or Kegal exercises), injectable materials, prosthetic devices and/or surgery. Depending on age, medical condition, and personal preference, surgical procedures can be used to completely restore continence. Types of procedure found to be an especially successful treatment option for SUI in both men and women can include sling or implant procedures. There are a variety of different sling procedures. Slings used for pubovaginal procedures differ in the type of material and anchoring methods.
One such implant procedure is the Elevate® anterior or posterior implant systems sold by American Medical Systems, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn. The Elevate® posterior implant system utilizes self-fixating tips that allow for mesh placement in the sacrospinous ligament through a single vaginal incision to treat apical and/or posterior vaginal prolapse.
There is a desire to provide a system for repairing apical support and posterior vaginal wall support based on sound anatomic concepts and long term outcome advantages.